Kimpton Theta

[Tom]

Has anyone stayed at the Kimpton Theta, New York? Wondering what it’s like. Decent upgrades? Nice Breakfast? Would be for family of 4 in 2 rooms. Hoping they would comp breakfast for all 4 of us (Diamond) as although breakfast benefit is strictly for only 2 people, everywhere I’ve been has been happy to comp all 4 of us.

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Have you been in the US when the breakfasts were comped? My experience is NYC hotels nickel and dime you.

[Tom]

Yes, but I haven’t been to New York for years, not since the free breakfast benefit was introduced.
I’ve had free breakfast at:
Intercontinental downtown LA – 4 people
Indigo downtown LA – 2 people
Kimpton Alton San Francisco – 4 people

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

What other hotels do is neither here nor there.

As long as a hotel meets the IHG standard for Diamond breakfast –

Available for Member and one guest registered to the same room for each night of stay

Anything above that is a bonus not to be relied on.

[Tom]

I’m perfectly aware of the rules, thanks. If you read my initial post I made that clear.

I was asking if anyone had stayed at the hotel, what they thought of it and if the breakfast was nice. I’m guessing you haven’t stayed there.

Hoping a hotel will give you something in excess of your entitlement, that many other hotels happily give, is not an expectation. I just said I hope that they would comp 4 of us.

I certainly don’t agree with your point that ‘what other hotels do is neither here nor there’. I think plenty of us factor in how good a hotels status recognition is compared to other hotels, when choosing where to stay. The hotels that go above and beyond entitlement, generally get my repeat business and hopefully overall do better as a result of customer loyalty. Surely, you can see most customers would choose the hotel giving all 4 guests a free breakfast above the one that only gave it for 2 guests. Assuming all other factors such as price, quality, location etc were equal.

[JDB]

@Tom – in my experience of dealing with hotels over more than forty years, you are much better to negotiate with the hotel directly rather than hoping that some status will by chance give you something in excess of your supposed ‘entitlement’.

The owners of these properties who ultimately decide what you will get in the way of room rate, upgrades, breakfasts, early/late check out, free x, y and z actually much prefer to deal with direct humans/customers (ie not via IHG or OTA) rather than some status card waving entitled person and if approached correctly will give you far more, more cheaply than that they are supposedly obliged to offer (but will wriggle out of if possible) to the very exclusive club of 100 million IHG rewards members.

If you present as a person rather than a number, you will get much better treatment.

[Tom]

I don’t doubt you JDB. I know you are speaking from experience, but I usually just book everything through IHG for ease. I book the room(s) I need and turn up expecting the room I have booked, anything above that is a bonus. I would hate to ever come across as an entitled card waver. I usually find I am treated very well without even asking for anything. Occasionally, I have had to ask if I get a complimentary breakfast, but that is rare. I have found the norm is that it is comped for my whole party without any request at all. I have often been very lucky with upgrades too. Not through demanding, I might add, just by luck, or perhaps being pleasant to the person checking me in. I know from my involvement here and on Flyertalk that my experience doesn’t reflect that of everyone else.

Just to make fully clear, if I am travelling as a group of 4, I would have no issue paying for breakfast for 2 of my party. I have to say that has never happened to me, since the new benefits were introduced, but I would not see it as an issue or as me being short changed in any way. Having said that, I would be more likely to return to the hotel that comped it for all 4 of us, assuming other aspects of our stay were satisfactory. That is where I hope my loyalty will repay their generous hospitality.